KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Amnesty International called on the Pakistani government to stop ignoring global pleas and halt the “unlawful” deportation of Afghan refugees, following the announcement of the second phase of refugee deportation from the country.
In a statement issued on Thursday, April 4, Amnesty International asserted that Pakistan’s Repatriation Plan for illegal foreigners violates refugee and international human rights laws, endangering the lives of millions of Afghans.
Last year in October, the Pakistan caretaker government announced a plan known as The Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP), asking all undocumented immigrants including over 1.7 million Afghans to leave the country or face deportation.
Pakistani authorities claim that undocumented refugees are a major source of insecurity and illegal activities in their country. They justify the crackdown as a counter-terrorism measure, pointing to the recent surge in security incidents in the country.
Since then, according to UN reports, over half of a million Afghan refugees, mostly women and children, have been deported to the Taliban controlled Afghanistan. Many of these refugees had initially fled Afghanistan due to retaliation by the Taliban and economic hardships.
Earlier last month, the newly elected government of Pakistan announced that it will initiate the second phase of refugee expulsions after the Eid-ul-Fitr festival, which is next week. According to Pakistani media, in this phase the country will deport Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders which were issued in 2017 and 2018 to Afghan refugees granting them legal refugee status in the country.
Amnesty International says that Pakistan’s decision endangers the lives of over 800,000 Afghan refugees across Pakistan and threatens to unleash another wave of harassment and detention after the holy month of Ramadan.
“Pakistan’s ‘Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan’ is in violation of refugee and international human rights law, particularly the principle of non-refoulement, and puts the lives of all Afghan refugees at risk, particularly women, girls, journalists, human rights defenders, women protestors, artists, and former Afghan government and security officials,” The rights group said.
“The Government’s decision also lacks transparency and arbitrarily cancels the validity of the ACC documentation that was issued by the Government of Pakistan itself,” it added.
Out of the over four million Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan, the UN says that over 600,000 of them, including rights activists, journalists, women, and employees of the former government, fled Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover of the country.
Many fled the country due to fear of Taliban retaliation and persecution. However, upon arriving in Pakistan, they face numerous challenges including economic hardships, uncertainty, legal documentation, and even targeted attacks.
Just last night, an Afghan journalist identified as Ahmad Hanayish was attacked by unidentified individuals in the capital city of Islamabad, sustaining serious injuries. He was affiliated with Radio Free Europe and two local radio stations in Afghanistan.
According to sources, Mr. Hanayish fled Afghanistan approximately a year ago and has been residing in Islamabad since then.
Following the incident, the Afghanistan Journalist Center (AFJC), an Afghan media watchdog, called on the Pakistan government to protect Afghan journalists in the country. AFJC urged for a transparent and fair investigation into the incident.
Amnesty International calls on Pakistani authorities to immediately reverse the deportation decision and urgently pass human rights-compliant law protecting the rights of refugees in the country. Furthermore, it urges Pakistan to become a state party to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees along with its Protocols.
